The Non-Euclidian Staircase

I think the goal here is mechanical simplicity and setting/character familiarity. Simple mechanics so you can get done teaching quickly and familiar characters so the players (who aren't used to roleplaying) can get into them with minimal work. In other words, something that puts at much of the work on the game and the GM and as little on the players as can be done... and, if possible, most of that should go to the game so the GM is free to also be helpful to the players!

Three choices, ehh...

Feng Shui comes first. If carefully focused on the modern-day action archetypes (that is, away from archanotech, magic, and fu powers, all of which are a bit complex for beginners), this game is elegant and simple to learn. And the characters can, pretty much, do exactly what you'd expect from the source movies (HK or US). Plus it's very easy to get someone into the role of an action hero... they aren't generally known for their complex personalities.

If I knew they were fans of the show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is another game that smoothly and cleanly replicates a familiar source. Players can take on the familiar cast and will already know what their abilities are; the game just nicely provides a mechanical structure to insure this. And, again, taking on familiar roles makes it easy for new players to "find their character".

And, for a third choice, I'll go with my own home-brew Harry Potter diceless system, which can be seen here. This is an ultra-light mechanics game, very much focused on the story and the characters. It's also most structured than some diceless systems, so the player has a bit more than instinct on from which to guess their abilities and limits. Character creation is turned into a simple writing exercise and the math is kept as simple as possible. Plus I've been very happy with how it has played at the AmberCons where Jeanne and I GMed it.

Honorable Mention to Toon, Teenagers from Outer Space, and even the mostly-forgotten Rocky and Bullwinkle game, all of which are quick, light, and fun.